Sustainability

Our Commitment to Sustainability

The Soul Growers winery site and winemaking practices are certified under Australia’s most comprehensive wine industry sustainability program, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. This certification upholds the adoption of best-practice environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certification highlights our continual commitment to ensuring sustainability is at the forefront of our winemaking today and tomorrow, reducing the impact our winemaking practices have on the environment.

Our Growers

With grape growers being at the core of our business, it is important that growers who supply fruit to Soul Growers are undertaking training in sustainability measures. All our Barossa Valley grape growers are members of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia with 70% of these growers being certified members practicing the same level of commitment to sustainability. This commitment ensures the long-term health of the vines, soil and surrounding environment for today and generations to come.  The use of viticultural techniques such as the minimisation of chemical inputs, use of cover cropping to reduce weeds whilst adding valuable soil nutrients, carbon and soil structure, irrigation techniques that work in tandem with natural rain events coupled to under vine mulching techniques that retain moisture are examples of methodologies used by our growers to reach their sustainability targets. Examples of these multi-generational grape growing families we work with that are leading the charge regarding sustainability are the Gobell, Hoffmann and Hampel families.

Our Winemaking

Within in the winery complex, grape residues are recycled through distillation for the biofuel industry, tartaric acid recycling for the food industry and grape seed and skin products for the health and cosmetic industries. The grape bunch stalks are mulched and recycled on the vineyard as natural compost, whilst wastewater generated is treated, recycled and then irrigated to a native plantation woodlot surrounding the winery. Rooftop rainwater is harvested for use throughout the year, whilst our internal lighting energy consumption has been reduced by 30% by simply changing all our winery lighting to LED’s. Smarter use of day and night temperature variation has been applied to effective winery ventilation. Wine industry suppliers are also embracing sustainability, each with comprehensive programs in place from the printing of wine bottle labels to the use of 100% recyclable glass. Winery roof top solar energy generation now services over 90% of our electrical needs via solar panels.

At Soul Growers, the pursuit of excellence in grape growing and wine making must be quality focused, people focused and most importantly- sustainable.